Nokia N80

Viewed from one side, the Nokia N80 looks like a typical slider phone. Turn it around and it resembles a compact pocket camera. And with a camera resolution of 3 megapixels, it's no mere facade. Add in 3G, Wi-Fi, EDGE, and quadband connectivity, along with music and video playback, and the nearly $600 list price seems almost palatable.

 

The 4.7-ounce device (available in silver or black) is light enough to slip in a pocket, but if you're used to a svelte flip-phone phone, the N80's dimensions (3.8 x 2.0 x 1.0 inches) will seem bulky. That said, it's certainly less cumbersome than carrying a separate phone and camera.

 

The 2.1-inch high-res (352 x 416 pixels) screen is sharp and colorful, and Symbian OS puts it to good use. The phone's main UI screen has a clock and quick links to the contact, calendar, messaging, Web, music, and image gallery (still and video) functions. You can access more detailed settings, including those for connectivity, by hitting the dedicated menu key. Our only complaint here is the phone's slow boot-up time. From off, it takes more than 30 seconds for the OS to load-an eternity if you're in a hurry to make a call or snap a picture.

 

Navigating the clear menu is easy thanks to a four-way rocker switch with center select button. Slide the phone open and you'll find the numeric keypad for dialing. The well-spaced keys are easy to push even for those with larger thumbs, and subtle backlighting and indentations make dialing in the dark easy. The earpiece speaker provided very clear voice quality on our end; those we called could tell we weren't on our usual land line but reported that we sounded fine. Naturally, the N80 supports all the modern mobile-phone conveniences, such as speed dialing, voice dialing, and SMS and MMS messaging.

 

As a camera, the Nokia N80 is fairly impressive. When shooting outdoors, the 3MP sensor delivered accurate colors and excellent detail-as good as from a dedicated 3MP camera. Indoors, pictures tended to have a soft-focus quality compared with a regular digital camera but overall were still good. Shutter lag proved to be an issue with squirmy children, and the unit's 4-second recycle time between shots is slow compared with that of today's digital cameras.

 

Below the lens is a built-in flash. It's stronger than on most phones but no match for the flash on a standalone camera. While in some instances where we thought the flash was warranted, the auto-flash sensor thought otherwise, sending us into the menu to turn the flash on manually. On the plus side, the N80 offers a good selection of shooting modes and in-camera editing options.

 

Even better, getting pictures off the device's miniSD card is easy. You can send them via e-mail, of course, or transmit them via Bluetooth or IrDA to a compatible PC. The N80 even has Wi-Fi capability built in and can connect to any UPnP (Universal Plug and Play) router or access point. If all else fails, the included USB sync cable lets you connect directly to a PC (or PictBridge-compatible printer) to transfer (or print) images using good-old Windows Explorer.

 

Similarly, you can load the device with music or data files via the cable or memory card. The N80 makes a credible music player, with very good sound quality and support for MP3, AAC, m4a, eAAC, and WMA formats. Alas, you'll need to buy Nokia's HS-3BK stereo headset separately ($29.95) to enjoy the stereo playback and FM radio support.

 

Business travelers will appreciate the N80's extra productivity features. In addition Symbian's PIM features, there's a voice recorder as well as application viewers for Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and Excel files. And you can use the phone as a tethered or Bluetooth-connected modem for your laptop. The EDGE/EGPRS network isn't nearly as fast EV-DO or HSDPA service, but it's fine for grabbing e-mail from the field.

 

Connecting to the Web via the integrated Wi-Fi radio is a snap. Simply click on the Connection Manager icon in the main menu and search for available wireless networks. The Media Net Home service gives you access to news, sports scores, stock info, and more, or you can surf to any WAP-friendly site. Internet junkies may want to consider the Nokia N80 Internet Edition, a special model of the N80 that includes a wireless LAN wizard for easy connectivity. It's also preloaded with a range of services, including Yahoo! Search, Amazon's MobiPocket Reader for browsing books, and the ability to send a photo from the device directly to your Flickr site.

 

With all the connectivity and picture-taking going on, you'll want to keep close tabs on the battery indicator. Nokia claims 3 hours of talk time and 8 days of standby time for the device, which is lower than a typical slider phone.

 

For those who want their phone to double as a camera and are craving all the connectivity you can get, the Nokia N80 is worth a look. It's pricey, but it handles its myriad features with aplomb.